Shannon Jackson

Is It All Anxiety, or Am I Also a Highly Sensitive Person? With Louise!

Louise joins me to talk about the highly sensitive person (HSP). You might’ve heard this term before but wondered what it actually meant. And if that’s the case, you’re going to love this episode! But first, let’s get to know a bit about Louise.

Louise is a highly sensitive person herself! She even coaches highly sensitive people on how to reduce overwhelm in their lives and make their everyday lives easier. Louise learned that she was highly sensitive in 2013 when she began to experience extreme burnout. Eventually, she came to learn that she was a highly sensitive person. And when she finally learned this about herself, she was able to learn the tools to better support herself!

Is It All Anxiety, or Am I Also a Highly Sensitive Person? With Louise!

What Is A Highly Sensitive Person?

When I asked Louise what it looks like to be a highly sensitive person, she gave an awesome explanation! She said “as a highly sensitive person, I have my sensory antennas a bit further out than non-highly sensitive people. But basically, according to Dr. Elaine Aron’s research, we process information deeply, more deeply than non-highly sensitive people. So we are affected. Our environment affects us differently than others. So noise, lights, fabric and clothes, everything you experience daily in your life affects you deeply, more deeply than for non-HSPs”. Essentially, highly sensitive people are much more in tune with the emotions of people around them and often become much more overwhelmed by stimuli in their environment.

I love the example Louise provided because it really paints an image of what it’s like to be highly sensitive! As a highly sensitive person, you’re much more aware of things that others might not even notice. And you might be able to guess that this takes a lot of our energy, and even leads to increased feelings of stress and anxiety.

Tips For Navigating Life As A Highly Sensitive Person

Luckily for us, Louise has some great tips if you suspect you might be highly sensitive as well! Here are a few of my favorite pieces of wisdom that Louise shared:

01. Prioritize self-care

No matter who you are, taking time to recharge is absolutely essential for mental health. The best part is that self-care can look however you want it to! Maybe it’s spending time outside or practicing your favorite hobby. It’s whatever works for you!

02. Set boundaries with yourself and others

Protecting your peace is so important! Setting boundaries can be tricky at first, but healthy boundaries can bring you much more peace as an HSP. This might look like having quiet time on your lunch break, taking an extra minute or two during your day to recenter, or simply saying no to others from time to time.

03. Visualize a protective shield to manage negative energy

As a highly sensitive person, it can be easy to take on the emotions of other people. To navigate this, Louise likes to imagine a shield around herself in stressful situations. She imagines that this shield blocks out the negative emotions of others, and it helps her to not absorb the negativity of others nearly as much!

During our conversation, Louise highlighted that being highly sensitive is NOT a weakness. It’s actually a strength! As an HSP, you’re more likely to be empathetic and understand the perspectives of others. This allows HSPs to create really meaningful relationships and help others to feel seen, heard, and validated. And if you ask me, that’s an amazing trait to have!

If you want to learn even more about the highly sensitive person, make sure to listen to the full podcast episode with Louise!